MARTS AND MART HUNTING 



CHAPTER XXVIII 



WITHIN the memory of many of the older 

 inhabitants of lyakeland small packs of 

 hounds were kept specially for mart- 

 hunting. In local parlance and speaking gener- 

 ally the term " mart " was applied to both pine- 

 marten and polecat. When differentiating be- 

 tween the two, however, the pine marten was 

 known as the " sweet mart," and the polecat as 



The P01.ECAT OR ' ' Foumart " 



the ' ' foul mart " or evil-smelling marten. Most 

 local people shorten the polecat's name still further 

 and call it the " foumart." We will devote the 

 first portion of this chapter to it, beginning with 

 a brief description of the animal and its habits. 



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